The Conversation: Recent Topics
For more information, please contact Steven Reid at: steven.reid3@carleton.ca\
Updated September 8, 2026
Quarter Life: Series written for young people (20s-30s):
What should you do if you see a confrontation in public? Looking for someone who can explain how bystanders can safely intervene, de-escalate a tense situation and know when it’s better to stay back or call for help.
Deadline: ASAP
Arts:
MrBeast and James Patterson’s new book taps into the enduring appeal of watching people compete for money. We’re seeking articles on why audiences are so drawn to money-driven competition, from Squid Game to MrBeast’s content.
Deadline: ASAP
MrBeast and James Patterson’s new book is the latest example of the celebrity co-author model. We’re seeking articles on how celebrities bring the brand and audience while established novelists bring the storytelling.
Deadline: ASAP
Business + Economy:
What have Trump’s tariffs actually accomplished for the United States? Looking for someone who can assess whether the tariffs have delivered on the administration’s goal based on what the evidence tells us so far.
Deadline: ASAP
Culture + Society:
MrBeast and James Patterson’s new book raises questions about turning extreme risk into entertainment. We’re seeking articles on the ethics of making high-stakes competition into spectacle.
Deadline: ASAP
The WNBA has become a flashpoint in the so-called “culture war,” with players facing harassment from male fans and rising transphobia and debates over gender in women’s sports. Seeking articles on how culture-war politics are affecting WNBA players.
Deadline: ASAP
Science + Technology:
What is the AlphaGenome Atlas created by Google DeepMind? What does it mean for our understanding of the human body?
Deadline: ASAP
What is the quantum vacuum and will physicists be able to see it soon?
Deadline: ASAP
Did you work on a study awarded an Ig Nobel prize? Seeking an explainer of your research and also the prize itself, with examples of other winners in this or previous years.
Deadline: ASAP
Singapore is running a data centre powered by 800,000 lab-grown, living human brain cells. Seeking an evidence-based analysis.
Deadline: ASAP
Evergreen requests that aren’t time-sensitive so pitches are welcome any time:
Business + Economy:
Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi allow users to wager on military conflicts. Looking for someone who can explain how profiting from conflict fits into the broader war economy, and where the ethical and regulatory lines should be drawn.
Deadline: Ongoing
Financial deception in relationships: Hidden losses, secret accounts, and debt can put real strain on a relationship. Looking for an expert on the warning signs and how couples can deal with it.
Deadline: Ongoing
Science + Technology:
Do you conduct scientific research in partnership with Indigenous communities? Tell us about your work.
Deadline: Ongoing
Are you heading out into the field this fall or winter? We’d love to hear your stories of working out in the elements, on the land, or on marine expeditions, to conduct science. Tell us about your hypotheses, research instruments, findings, personal challenges.
Deadline: Ongoing
Do you have interesting research papers coming out in the next few months, in any science discipline? We’d love to help you disseminate the results to a general news readership.
Deadline: Ongoing
Updated August 31, 2026
Quarter Life: Series written for young people (20s-30s):
What should you do if you see a confrontation in public? Looking for someone who can explain how bystanders can safely intervene, de-escalate a tense situation and know when it’s better to stay back or call for help.
Deadline: ASAP
MySpace is making a comeback with a promise to offer an alternative to algorithm-driven social media. Seeking a story about what we lost when social platforms shifted from chronological feeds and user choice to algorithmic recommendations, and what people might want to get back.
Deadline: ASAP
Arts:
The HBO series House of the Dragon has garnered significant online commentary from fans upset by deviations from the book. We’re seeking articles on what makes a good TV/movie adaptation.
Deadline: ASAP
Business + Economy:
Brands have long used people’s insecurities to sell products, a practice sometimes called “insecurity marketing” or “pain-point advertising.” Seeking articles that explore how it works, why companies use it, and how consumers can recognize and resist emotional manipulation from advertising.
Deadline: ASAP
Editor: Eleni Vlahiotis, eleni.vlahiotis@theconversation.com
What have Trump’s tariffs actually accomplished for the U.S.? Looking for someone who can assess whether the tariffs have delivered on the administration’s goal based on what the evidence tells us so far.
Deadline: ASAP
Dodgers owner Mark Walter is currently at the centre of a federal investigation into the financial empire behind his sports holdings. Seeking an expert in sport business who can explain how team ownership became intertwined with a financial empire, and why regulators are suddenly interested in that structure.
Deadline: ASAP
Culture + Society:
The WNBA has become a flashpoint in the so-called “culture war,” with players facing harassment from male fans and rising transphobia and debates over gender in women’s sports. Seeking articles on how culture-war politics are affecting WNBA players.
Deadline: ASAP
Health + Medicine:
Home canning safety: Home preserving/pickling is becoming popular again, but online influencers don’t always use the safest methods. Looking for a food safety expert to write about the health risks of home canning, what methods are safest and what foods are good candidates for canning.
Deadline: ASAP
Science + Technology:
What will NASA’s new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mean for our view and understanding of space? Seeking an astronomer to write on this, and what it could mean for their work or their field as a whole.
Deadline: ASAP
Meta has agreed to make changes to Facebook and Instagram for teen users, in efforts to reduce social media harms. Seeking evidence-based and original perspectives.
Deadline: ASAP
Singapore is running a data centre powered by 800,000 lab-grown, living human brain cells. Seeking an evidence-based analysis.
Deadline: ASAP
Seeking a story about how AI is changing cybercrime, including how criminals use generative AI to automate scams, create voice clones and deepfakes, and launch other attacks. How are these tools making scams more convincing and scalable, and what does that mean for cybersecurity?
Deadline: ASAP
Evergreen requests that aren’t time-sensitive so pitches are welcome any time:
Business + Economy:
Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi allow users to wager on military conflicts. Looking for someone who can explain how profiting from conflict fits into the broader war economy, and where the ethical and regulatory lines should be drawn.
Deadline: Ongoing
Financial deception in relationships: Hidden losses, secret accounts, and debt can put real strain on a relationship. Looking for an expert on the warning signs and how couples can deal with it.
Deadline: Ongoing
Science + Technology:
Tell us your fieldwork stories! Where do you go to do field research, what equipment do you use, what does it demand of you personally? Whether you study deserts, or riverbanks or city streets… let our readers see how your science is done.
Deadline: Ongoing
Do you have any interesting research papers coming out in the next few months, in any science discipline? We’d love to help you disseminate the results to a general news readership.
Deadline: Ongoing
Updated August 27, 2026
Quarter Life: Series written for young people (20s-30s):
When is it time to cut off a friend or family member? Looking for someone who can explain how people can weigh the harms and benefits of a relationship, decide when low or no contact may be appropriate, and offer practical frameworks for making that decision.
Deadline: ASAP
What should you do if you see a confrontation in public? Looking for someone who can explain how bystanders can safely intervene, de-escalate a tense situation and know when it’s better to stay back or call for help.
Deadline: ASAP
Arts:
The “discoverabilty” of Canadian content in streaming services was reportedly part of the Canada-U.S. trade negotiations breakdown. Seeking a history of cultural industries protections in Canadian-U.S. trade negotiations and related analysis.
Deadline: ASAP
Indigenous film and creative industries: What’s new and notable in Indigenous film, or across Indigenous film production ecosystems and industries? Seeking stories.
Deadline: ASAP
Alberta or Québec in fiction and non-fiction: Seeking books-based story pitches to could help Canadians reflect on, appreciate and understand Alberta and Québec societies, interprovincial dynamics and separatism impulses.
Deadline: ASAP
Looking for stories on how AI is changing the book industry, from publishers pulling books or cancelling deals over suspected AI use to the flood of AI-generated nonfiction hitting the market. Interested in the implications for authors, publishers and readers, and how the industry is deciding what kinds of AI use are acceptable.
Deadline: ASAP
Business + Economy:
What have Trump’s tariffs actually accomplished for the U.S.? Looking for someone who can assess whether the tariffs have delivered on the administration’s goal based on what the evidence tells us so far.
Deadline: ASAP
Dodgers owner Mark Walter is currently at the centre of a federal investigation into the financial empire behind his sports holdings. Seeking an expert in sport business who can explain how team ownership became intertwined with a financial empire, and why regulators are suddenly interested in that structure.
Deadline: ASAP
Culture/Politics:
Looking for a British monarchy, media or pop culture expert to write on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the UK and the media frenzy surrounding it. What are the risks inherent in their return after years of British media attacks against them? King Charles supported the move — what might that suggest about Royal Family dynamics at the moment?
Deadline: ASAP
Education:
Seeking research about Indigenous-led education or Indigenous language learning projects.
Environment + Energy:
The area burned in Brazil’s Amazon in 2025 was far smaller in size than the previous year. We are looking for articles that discuss the reasons for this and what it means for conservation efforts.
Deadline: ASAP
Science + Technology:
Singapore is running a data centre powered by 800,000 lab-grown, living human brain cells. Seeking an evidence-based analysis.
Deadline: ASAP
Seeking a story about how AI is changing cybercrime, including how criminals use generative AI to automate scams, create voice clones and deepfakes, and launch other attacks. How are these tools making scams more convincing and scalable, and what does that mean for cybersecurity?
Deadline: ASAP
Evergreen requests that aren’t time-sensitive so pitches are welcome any time:
Business + Economy:
Financial deception in relationships: Hidden losses, secret accounts, and debt can put real strain on a relationship. Looking for an expert on the warning signs and how couples can deal with it.
Deadline: Any time
Science + Technology:
Tell us your summer fieldwork stories! Where did you go to do field research, what equipment did you use, what did it demand of you personally? Whether you study deserts, or riverbanks or city streets… let our readers see how your science is done.
Deadline: Ongoing
Do you have any interesting research papers coming out in the next few months, in any science discipline? We’d love to help you disseminate the results to a general news readership.
Deadline: Ongoing
Updated August 24, 2026
Arts:
The HBO series House of the Dragon has garnered significant online commentary from fans upset by deviations from the book. We’re seeking articles on what makes a good TV/movie adaptation.
Deadline: ASAP
Education:
Back-to-school is coming; seeking pitches related to early childhood education and K-12 schooling.
Deadline: ASAP
Business + Economy:
What have Trump’s tariffs actually accomplished for the U.S.? Looking for someone who can assess whether the tariffs have delivered on the administration’s goal based on what the evidence tells us so far.
Deadline: ASAP
Dodgers owner Mark Walter is currently at the centre of a federal investigation into the financial empire behind his sports holdings. Seeking an expert in sport business who can explain how team ownership became intertwined with a financial empire, and why regulators are suddenly interested in that structure.
Deadline: ASAP
Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi allow users to wager on military conflicts. Looking for someone who can explain how profiting from conflict fits into the broader war economy, and where the ethical and regulatory lines should be drawn.
Deadline: ASAP
Culture + Society:
The WNBA has become a flashpoint in the so-called “culture war,” with players facing harassment from male fans and rising transphobia and debates over gender in women’s sports. Seeking articles on how culture-war politics are affecting WNBA players.
Deadline: ASAP
Politics:
Looking for any stories tied to Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats against Canada.
Deadline: ASAP
Science + Technology:
Singapore is running a data centre powered by 800,000 lab-grown, living human brain cells. Seeking an evidence-based analysis.
Deadline: ASAP
Seeking a story about how AI is changing cybercrime, including how criminals use generative AI to automate scams, create voice clones and deepfakes, and launch other attacks. How are these tools making scams more convincing and scalable, and what does that mean for cybersecurity?
Deadline: ASAP
Evergreen requests that aren’t time-sensitive so pitches are welcome any time:
Science + Technology:
Tell us your summer fieldwork stories! Where do you go to do field research, what equipment do you use, what does it demand of you personally? Whether you study deserts, or riverbanks or city streets… let our readers see how your science is done.
Deadline: Ongoing
Do you have any interesting research papers coming out in the next few months, in any science discipline? We’d love to help you disseminate the results to a general news readership.
Deadline: Ongoing
Updated August 20, 2026
Quarter Life: Series written for young people (20s-30s):
Looking for stories exploring the financial, career and employment considerations around egg freezing: the cost of freezing and storing eggs, employer benefits or coverage, and how fertility preservation can factor into career and family-planning decisions.
Deadline: ASAP
Arts:
Looking for stories on how AI is changing the book industry, from publishers pulling books or cancelling deals over suspected AI use to the flood of AI-generated nonfiction hitting the market. Interested in the implications for authors, publishers and readers, and how the industry is deciding what kinds of AI use are acceptable.
Deadline: ASAP
Business + Economy:
Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi allow users to wager on military conflicts. Looking for someone who can explain how profiting from conflict fits into the broader war economy, and where the ethical and regulatory lines should be drawn.
Deadline: ASAP
Culture/Politics:
Looking for analyses on the British media’s treatment of Jason Arday prior to his suicide. There have been other instances, including Carolyn Flack and Meghan Markle, of media pile-ons in the UK that have caused serious emotional distress to their targets. Why is the British media so vicious? Is it worse in the UK than in other western democracies? Should Arday’s death lead to media reforms/regulations?
Deadline: ASAP
Looking for a British monarchy or pop culture expert to write on Prince Harry and Meghan’s return to the UK. What are the risks inherent in their return after years of British media attacks against them? King Charles has expressed support for the move — what might that suggest about Royal Family dynamics at the moment?
Deadline: ASAP
Environment + Energy:
The area burned in Brazil’s Amazon in 2025 was far smaller in size than the previous year. We are looking for articles that discuss the reasons for this and what it means for conservation efforts.
Deadline: ASAP
Science + Technology:
Looking for stories on efforts to identify AI-generated text, including Anthropic’s new watermarking technology and other detection tools. How effective are they, and what their use could mean for workplaces, publishers and other industries?
Deadline: ASAP
Seeking a story about how AI is changing cybercrime, including how criminals use generative AI to automate scams, create voice clones and deepfakes, and launch other attacks. How are these tools making scams more convincing and scalable, and what does that mean for cybersecurity?
Deadline: ASAP
Evergreen requests that aren’t time-sensitive so pitches are welcome any time:
Business + Economy:
Financial deception in relationships: Hidden losses, secret accounts, and debt can put real strain on a relationship. Looking for an expert on the warning signs and how couples can deal with it.
Deadline: Any time
Science + Technology:
Tell us your summer fieldwork stories! Where do you go to do field research, what equipment do you use, what does it demand of you personally? Whether you study deserts, or riverbanks or city streets… let our readers see how your science is done.
Deadline: Ongoing
Do you have any interesting research papers coming out in the next few months, in any science discipline? We’d love to help you disseminate the results to a general news readership.
Deadline: Ongoing